Industrial automation generally refers to the use of control systems to increase the productivity and/or quality of an industrial process. An “industrial process” generally refers to any type of process that facilitates the production of goods or the delivery of services. A “control system” generally refers to a device or set of devices that manage, command, direct, or regulate the behavior of other devices utilized within an industrial process. The “control system” can be managed by an “industrial controller,” such as a programmable logic controller, a programmable automation controller, or the like.
Different software applications or programs can be utilized to design a component of the control system related to one or more devices. The component of the control system requires at least two separate programs to facilitate a complete design. The two programs can include, for example, a control program and a visualization program. The control program can run on an industrial controller, such as a programmable logic controller or a programmable automation controller, to control the operation of the component. The visualization program can define a screen for an operator panel corresponding to the component. Traditionally, the separate programs used to configure the component, such as the control program and the visualization program, have been separate programs with separate navigation and manipulation/editing functionalities. The separate functionalities inherent to the separate programs complicate the component design process.
The above-described background is merely intended to provide an overview of contextual information regarding the design of a component in a control system, and is not intended to be exhaustive. Additional context may become apparent upon review of one or more of the various non-limiting embodiments of the following detailed description.